By Alice McFarlane

Manitoba spring planting reaches 85 per cent complete

May 29, 2025 | 4:00 PM

Drier weather over the past week gave Manitoba growers the opportunity to move quickly to send of another seeding season.

Many farmers could wrap up over the next week, according to Sonia Wilson, an oilseed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture.

“We saw some precipitation events across the province ranging from zero millimeters to 21.8 mm, but the Interlake received very little rain,” Wilson said. “The southwest corner had some and the central region, but overall, it was a pretty good week to move ahead with seeding this past week and we are sitting at about 85 per cent complete across the province which is ahead of our five-year average of 69 per cent.”

The southwest and central area has good soil moisture conditions and producers were able to take advantage of that for seeding. The northwest is drier which is similar to the eastern portions of the Interlake.

“We’re actually seeing this year that precipitation accumulations are actually under 60 per cent of the normal and that’s based on a 30-year average,” she said.

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The soil in southwest and parts of the central, in contrast, are over 150 per cent of the 30-year average since May 1 for precipitation. Wilson said there is quite a difference between the areas of the province.

Lower nighttime temperatures over the past week resulted minor frost damage on some of the corn crops but many are expected to bounce back.

Wilson added with warmer temperatures and sunny days in the forecast; a lot of growers will be moving close to the finish line when they will start early scouting to see how crops are emerging and how those hit by frost are recovering.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com